Report: Yankees Preparing to Present Aaron Judge With Extension Offer This Week

Judge said earlier this spring that he wants to wear pinstripes for the rest of his career, but won't negotiate a long-term deal once the regular season begins.

TAMPA — Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and his staff are preparing to present star right fielder Aaron Judge with an extension offer within the next week, a source told Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Judge, 29, is on track to enter free agency following the 2022 season, his seventh year in pinstripes. On Sunday, Judge told YES Network that he still hadn't heard from the Yankees about any sort of contractual negotiations.

Earlier in the week, Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner mentioned that those conversations with Judge will "happen soon."

The slugger has made it clear that he hopes to stay with the Yankees for the rest of his career, reiterating last week that he wants to be a Yankee for life. That said, he doesn't plan on engaging in any contract talks with the team once the regular season begins on April 7, wanting to make sure his situation off the field doesn't become a distraction when games begin to count. 

Aaron Judge says the Yankees still haven't met with him about a contract extension. But he says that isn't a priority right now pic.twitter.com/DlDVCgY0jv

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 20, 2022

That means New York has just over two weeks to agree to terms. Otherwise, they'll need to wait until their season comes to an end later this fall. At that point, Judge will be able to speak with other teams, testing the open market. 

As Sherman notes in his piece regarding Judge's contract, Freddie Freeman's departure from Atlanta this spring shows that any franchise player could leave for the right contract and situation. Could Judge return to California and play for a team like the Giants that are close to where he grew up? Will another club blow Judge's camp away with an offer he simply can't refuse?

New York must continue to pay Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton and more going forward, meaning a lofty extension for Judge would be an investment. Judge is a captain-like figure for this franchise in every way, though. After the performance he had in 2021, silencing critics over his inability to stay healthy, you can certainly make the argument that Judge has earned a gargantuan contract. 

If the way the Yankees approached free agency this offseason is any indication, New York is preparing to make a significant investment. Judge fits the bill, both in his stature and his worth.

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